Huayu: Starting from the top talent show

Chapter 492 The Battle for Honor
June 4th, US time.

The annual Forbes Global Celebrity List has just been released, and Shen Juan once again defended his title with an overwhelming income advantage thanks to his global tour, which grossed over one billion US dollars.

He not only successfully defeated Kylie Jenner, whose annual income was $5.9 million, but also left the Kardashian beauty influencer far behind with an annual income of $8.1 million. He expanded his influence through another data ranking that is still quite valuable and continued to write his own legend.

Logically, Alovers should have been very happy to hear this news and then publicized it extensively on social media.

But the truth is
Being happy is being happy.

For example, Guasi is very happy right now!
Since having worked with Shen Juan and had private conversations with him, she has completely regarded Shen Juan as the guiding light in her life.

She paid close attention to Shen Juan's every move!

But none of the fans, including Guasi, could publicize their joy on social media and share it with the world.

Because the current public opinion environment is quite unique.

Gong Ya, emboldened by public opinion, launched what may be the largest online attack on Shen Juan in his career to date.

Shen Juan's direct confrontation, listing Duck's dark history and blasting him through his defenses, was very satisfying.

But this did not quell the public's anger.

It goes without saying that solving the problem is impossible.

To some extent, it even provoked a backlash from the Wakandan people, who felt that during such a special time, everyone was participating in the anti-Knight movement, but Shen Juan not only did not participate, but also verbally abused a Wakandan citizen, which was simply a provocation against the entire Wakandan!

So they responded to the call of the male duck and collectively went to Shen Juan's social media comment section to spam the screen with robot emojis.

This reminded Guasi of how the public treated Taylor Swift four years ago when she was falsely accused by the Kanyes.

What's even more outrageous is that many media outlets joined in the frenzy to get a firsthand look at the incident.

Alex and his team may have forgotten, but American listeners aren't deaf! Behind the record-breaking number of plays, is it Spotify's algorithm plundering resources from Asian American musicians, or the cultural infiltration of Chinese capital? While he was talking about music without borders on social media, his record label, Republic Records, was diverting promotional budgets originally intended for Drake to his name. Even more ironically, amidst the nationwide movement against Drake, this so-called global pop superstar only remembered racial equality after being criticized; his silence the previous week had already revealed his indifference to the plight of Asian Americans. Data doesn't lie, but it can be manipulated. Talent deserves respect, but it shouldn't become a weapon for capital to crush minorities.

His response was entirely an outburst of anger, yet it avoided the most crucial question: as a public figure with global influence, remaining neutral and silent in the racial justice movement is itself a choice. While African Americans protested police brutality in the streets, Alex was enjoying a life of luxury in China; when Drake crudely brought the conflict to the forefront, he used vulgar language to attack and insult our fellow Wakandas. The so-called "music knows no borders" seems so pale in the face of racial discrimination. The privilege of top celebrities lies not only in their monopoly on viewership, but also in their ability to use the purity of art to mask their evasion of social issues. What audiences truly need is not sentimentality or tear-jerking, nor is it emotional encouragement; what they truly need is a clear statement on how minorities can unite against the Knight!

A former employee of Republic Records, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed to this newspaper that during the release of Shen Juan's new album, Shen Juan's team mobilized Chinese fans to listen to it on a loop 24 hours a day through paid listening tasks, and exploited Spotify's monitoring loopholes regarding cross-regional IP playback to create a global buzz. Even more alarming is that the donation details of the proceeds from his Valentine's Day EP released last year and this year's abandoned tracks EP have not yet been made public. When charity becomes a code for gaining popularity, and when social conflicts become weapons for tearing each other apart, how many shady operations are hidden behind the halo of this world-renowned pop superstar?

Are you guys fucking crazy?
Guaxi was stunned after reading these news reports.

It is only natural in this industry and even in this world that the strong get more publicity and promotion resources!
When did this become a plundering of resources from Asian musicians? Did they ruin their brains by using marijuana every day?

Why don't you bunch of sharks cause trouble at the Olympics?
Why don't you say that the other races that beat the Olympics are plundering Wakanda's resources?
Does that mean we won't be able to beat them anymore?

Winning means plundering, winning means being a knight!
This is absolutely insane!

No matter how fiercely or filthyly she cursed, it couldn't change the fact that society's accusations against Shen Juan had not stopped.

A commentator for The Daily Beast indignantly stated on the show: "Shen Juan's biggest problem is not data fabrication, but his misplaced identity! His commercial success has made him forget that he is an outsider who relies on the US market, and that he will have nothing if he leaves the US market!"

"Drake's way of expressing anger may be crude, but we can all understand it because he spoke a bloody truth: the century-long dedication of Asian American musicians to the music industry is being gradually eroded by Asian idols packaged by capital, and they are destroying the American pop music scene!"

"If you disagree with what I said, just look at his fanbase! Aside from Asian and Latino people, the majority are white teenagers who hold up signs about music without borders, yet they cast disdainful glances at the African American protesters on the streets who are speaking out and fighting for the interests of their community!"

"This isn't cultural integration, it's neo-straight democracy! I'm not exaggerating! Using Chinese capital and white aesthetics to reap the benefits of the American music industry, and then being hailed as a genius? I suggest he first figure out: whose home turf is this! Americans don't need Alex Shen!"

Another political commentator, in a television interview, said: "Alex made a fatal mistake. He simplified the issue of racial discrimination into personal grudges, trying to eliminate the differences in macro-level racial discrimination through individual competition and killing. African Americans living in the United States face a survival crisis where they may be shot on the street, while his predicament is being questioned by his peers about data fabrication. This completely unequal situation means that he is destined to be unable to empathize with ethnic minorities!"

"What's even more dangerous is that when his fans boycotted Drake on social media, they also attacked all netizens who brought up racial discrimination, which has evolved into a new conflict in this country and even the world! As a public figure, he has a responsibility to guide his fans to be rational, rather than allowing them to insult ethnic minorities. But our pop star chose to run away. In my opinion, this blatant disregard is more hurtful than Drake's radicalism!"

In addition,

6ix9ine, who had just been released from prison and whose first comeback single last month was brutally massacred by STAY, also took the opportunity to fire back, saying that Shen Juan was a data bot, and that at least 70% of his so-called records were inflated, and that his army of bots destroyed the streaming era.

This guy has always had a beef with Shen Juan.

The story can be traced back to when Shen Juan first insulted Duanmei by calling him "69," a serious criminal.

Since they've already fallen out, 69 will definitely seize any opportunity to kick someone when they're down, getting revenge while also riding the wave of popularity.

On the contrary, Broken Eyebrow, who had previously been turned into a sycophant by Alovers after his spine was broken, didn't dare to utter a sound; he was already terrified of being beaten.

Kamei, who had a previous feud with Shen Juan, personally entered the fray on her main account, leaving behind five robot emojis.

A Chinese person claiming to be Shen Juan's junior high school classmate posted an English account on an overseas website, stating that he was bullied by Shen Juan during his adolescence because of his overweight body, and that Shen Juan's righteous and kind side was all a pretense, and that he was a very dangerous natural bully.

A Victoria's Secret supermodel who had previously been praising Shen Juan and touting their friendship on social media also followed suit, posting that Shen Juan was a playboy who had tried to have dinner with her more than once, but she had refused each time. The reason was simple: she didn't like a man with a messy private life.

A blogger released a street interview with the beginning and end cut off. In the video, out of more than 100 interviewees, not a single one liked Shen Juan. Some even said that Shen Juan was a sissy and a coward, and that his works were only for sissy men and women. Real men should listen to hip-hop!

Some people also dug up an interview that Bago gave to Taiwanese media after his breakup with Shen Juan. When asked about someone saying that Shen Juan was similar to him, Bago said that he was very devoted to his relationships and not as promiscuous as Shen Juan. He was much cleaner than Shen Juan. Although he put it in a more subtle way, that was pretty much the gist of it.

Shen Juan's properties across the United States have been vandalized with graffiti, and social media is filled with black and white photos of Shen Juan labeled as fake, while his iconic robot emoji has also been widely shared.

Alex Shen is a hypocrite!

This thief from China is completely finished.

【Alex Shen, screw you!】

The era of Alex Shen has ended.

I've been waiting for this day to come!

Alex Shen is overrated.

The United States does not need Alex Shen.

Is the US finally starting to crack down on Alex?

I think I'd be incredibly happy if I never had to hear this Chinese thief's new song again in my lifetime!

No matter how much money and fame he possesses, it cannot change his ugly personality and sordid character.

There are countless similar comments.

Amid such a massive wave of controversy, despite the fact that Soundwave's official account immediately denied the allegations of data fabrication.

However, public opinion has formed the perception that "the data is unreliable".

There are always people who like to view the world through the lens of conspiracy theories.

There are always people who like to blindly deny all data and achievements.

In an effort to protect its cash cow, Republic Records has urgently initiated legal proceedings, launched a massive legal campaign, and partnered with SoundBreaking to release various data metrics for Shen Juan's new album in an attempt to restore public trust. However, this resulted in Shen Juan being dubbed the sarcastic "legal god" in North America.

Alovers, on the other hand, delved into the controversial past of the male duck, attempting to muddy the waters and divert public attention.

But doing so had no effect.

Because many people don't genuinely support the male duck.

To put it bluntly, these netizens who are unhappy with their lives just want to find someone to vent their negative emotions.

So when Guaxi saw so many idiots and Sword Tomb fans flooding Shen Juan's social media comment section, he was absolutely furious!

Born into a wealthy family and never having to worry about food or clothing since childhood, this was the first time she had ever witnessed the dark side of society firsthand!

Just as she was fiercely fighting against those scoundrels to protect her idol, who was also her respected senior, a pop-up window on her phone showed that Shen Juan had suddenly updated his social media.

Guaxi quickly clicked on it.

Shen Juan responded to all the previous public criticisms and insults directed at him through images. Knight of Wakanda?
My buddy participated in a lot of community activities last year!
Whether it's official events like the NBA All-Star Weekend with Westbrook and others, private acts of charity work in minority communities during his spare time, or various public welfare activities during his time with friends, Shen Juan is definitely among the celebrities in Europe and America who are most concerned about the Wakanda community!
Data fabrication?

Then release the actual backend data records.

Even if the data for the Asia-Pacific region is removed, and only the data for North America is compared with the global data for the male duck, it is still possible to determine the data.

Although it can no longer be crushed like before.

But he still won very easily!
The promised charitable funds were not disclosed?

Then let's make it public.

He wanted the world to know that in addition to donating all the proceeds from his EP, he also donated an extra five million US dollars.

Are you saying I bullied my classmates?

Who are you sending it to?
There was no one named you in my junior high class!

Did I invite you to dinner?

Just post the chat history and see who's lying, who's betraying the Heavenly Gang, and who's turning love into hate.

As for pugs and male ducks?
He simply ignored it.

The former is because they didn't want to show it on screen.

The latter, as the media has stated.

His biggest problem right now isn't the duck, but public opinion, and the behind-the-scenes forces driving that opinion toward him.

The male duck is just a small fry at best.

What he really needs to solve is not the male duck.

It's the world's malice towards successful people.

[The claim that I used my Asian identity to plunder Wakanda's resources is utter slander! I have never demanded any special treatment because of my Asian identity, just as I would never bow down and apologize for my success. This is outright defamation! I will never back down!]

Wait, did I see that right?!

It's still outputting!

He still hasn't backed down!
That's so reckless, it's dangerous!
Guaxi's mind went completely blank!

She had never seen anyone dare to defy public opinion like this!
If someone else encountered such a huge uproar, they would probably be so scared they wet their pants, then shut down social media comments and pretend to be dead and admit defeat.

But Shen Juan chose to fight to the bitter end!

He seems never to back down!
Moreover, just like one group finishes its performance and another takes the stage, the group of allies who stood by Shen Juan and supported him also began to exert their strength.

Taylor Swift uploaded a photo of herself and Shen Juan backstage at an awards ceremony last year. The two are holding trophies and smiling at each other. She captioned the photo: "Alex is a really, really good person. That's the biggest impression I've had of him since I met him. The attacks against him online are just insane! I can assure you that the whole thing about Alex being a knight is 100% fake. I urge everyone to stay rational and ignore this misinformation. I'm not going to fight against the collective will; I just don't want the tragic experience I went through to happen to someone else."

After much hesitation at home, Justin Bieber finally decided to stand up for Shen Juan, taking a gamble: "From the day I met him, he has never stopped dedicating himself to global charity work. Donating EP proceeds, actively participating in community activities, visiting seriously ill children in hospitals, sending money to fans in difficult circumstances, and launching global benefit concerts—there's no doubt he's a good person, so why can't we give a good person a chance to explain?"

With multiple buffs from Wakanda, his contact list, and his underlying strength, Lina is practically invincible in the current US, making him virtually untargetable. Therefore, to avenge his messiah, he directly unleashed his attack, charging headlong into Drake's face:
Listen, I can tell you this with absolute certainty: Alex is 100% not a racial stigmatist! I've said it many times before, he's incredibly kind to me and to other Wakandas! He not only changed my life, he even saved it! Meanwhile, some people use skin color and race as tools for excluding others and tearing each other apart. Your perspective is even less than Ma Da's in my music video. Racial discrimination isn't a weapon; it's proof of our existence. Stop these underhanded tactics and write more memorable melodies, or you'll only be able to make the news by criticizing others!

Despite pressure from her management team and record company, Ariana Grande posted a statement taking her side: "Hate and prejudice are contagious, but so are kindness and talent! When I was down, he comforted me; now it's my turn to comfort him. I will always believe in Alex, and I will always support Alex. Alexana is right!"

Gift crab special!

When Taylor Swift was subjected to online bullying and became known as "Snake Sister," no one was willing to stand by her side and publicly support her.

Of course, these two things are completely different in nature.

Taylor never expected that she would be so badly hurt by the edited phone recording by Kanye, leaving her with no means of countermeasures. This resulted in a one-sided public opinion storm, forcing her and her fans to shut themselves away and pretend to be dead until a year later when she returned to the public eye.

If it weren't for the remarkable commercial success of "Reputation" signaling her strong comeback, her career would likely have been completely ended by the Kanye couple.

And Shen Juan.
Anyone with a modicum of common sense can see that it's obvious a group is taking advantage of the situation to stir up trouble and engage in malicious targeting.

There's no need for time to discern the truth behind his accusations, doubts, and criticisms.

Just now!

He can give a very clear answer!

All of these are baseless and false accusations!
Everything about him is an insult to his character!
It's all bullying aimed at his reputation!
Meanwhile, fans around the world have not stopped their efforts; they are determined to clear their idols' names!
Jealousy can truly drive people mad! Even knowing something is suspicious, the deep-seated human nature of envy and hatred towards the strong can still drive people to kick someone when they're down. Many netizens hiding behind their screens simply enjoy watching an outstanding person at the top of their industry be overthrown, drowned out, and destroyed.

[I cried so loudly! Shen Juan really supported me through countless lonely journeys. No celebrity has ever inspired such admiration and longing in me, yet he's now suffering such injustice. Frankly, in real life I'm a very timid girl, with a soft voice and even some low self-esteem, but to protect Shen Juan, to safeguard his reputation, I think I can't be wrong, I must be brave online! I will give everything!]

The essence of this matter is the distorted mentality of the American people in creating idols and then bringing them down from their pedestals. In 2019, 21-year-old Shen Juan's second album, *Vitality*, became a global sensation, making him a highly sought-after superstar. At the time, the mainstream public adored and even doted on him, and the Grammys awarded him Album of the Year at the beginning of the year, officially crowning Shen Juan as the undisputed number one male star. The Drake incident coincided with another peak period for Shen Juan; his third album, *Sisyphus*, was even greater than *Vitality*, helping him become the undisputed number one! But Americans, tired of his dazzling success, wanted to see their idol brought down from his pedestal, so they found some excuse to launch a blind online attack. At this point, it felt like if you didn't criticize Shen Juan, you were out of touch with the trend. Britney Spears did the same, Taylor Swift did the same, and Shen Juan did the same, but the difference is that if you survived, you became Taylor Swift; if you didn't, you became Britney Spears.

Everyone is criticizing him, everyone wants to be like him. The truth is: beauty itself is a kind of original sin.

Even after reaching his current position, a superstar like Alex never stops reflecting on himself or ceasing his keen awareness of the world, which only further solidifies his rock-solid success! What we need to do is support him, believe in him, and protect him!

The good thing is that while the controversy surrounding Alex is indeed significant, he also has a large number of supporters. After all, fame often brings controversy, and I believe he will overcome this! This is simply a necessary test for him to achieve greatness and become a legend. We, the Alovers, will always stand behind him!

I can roughly understand how painful it must feel for a good boy, who has been taught from a young age to be kind and uphold justice, to be slandered and insulted as a vicious villain by a mob. But I believe this incident will not defeat Shen Juan, because I believe the world will not let down someone who truly loves his work.

Although the truth of the matter was never hidden.

It just sat there quietly.

Everyone who passes by can see it.

But the truth is actually what the public cares about the least.

Many people only need one reason to attack Alex.

A ridiculous reason that is completely untenable.

Because of their jealousy, they genuinely hated this seemingly radiant Chinese boy who was everywhere.

When people think you're a criminal?
Then every move you make will only become evidence of your crime.

This damn world is so eager to hear stories of early fame, yet far too many people want to see him fall from grace and never recover after achieving success.

At this moment, reputation seemed to surpass Shen Juan.

And they tried to completely drown him.

But Guaxi knew that Shen Juan wouldn't be so easily defeated.

A man who dares to confront the social upheaval and collective will sweeping across America and engage in a heated online argument with another top singer cannot be emotionally fragile!

So at this moment,
She had only one thought in her mind.
In the two Gen Z icons of media marketing, Alex represents a positive and uplifting role model, while Billie Eilish represents rebellion.
What nonsense!

Alex was clearly the most rebellious one!

He taught everyone a lesson through his actions!
His rebellious spirit of not fearing power and never admitting defeat is the most valuable spiritual asset of contemporary young people!
Although this incident has severely damaged his public image and may even affect his future album releases and tours, one thing Guasi can be sure of is that from today onwards, the debate over who is the leader of Generation Z will no longer exist.

He is the iconic symbol of this era!
So you want worldwide fame?
One must endure the pain of being pierced by a thousand arrows.

This battle for reputation may last for many years.

But they were already prepared to persevere.

(End of this chapter)